Pastoral Support and Student Welfare

The transition from Year 11 to Sixth Form Life is not always an easy one.  Examination success depends on being able to balance the demands of personal and working life with the pressures of AS and A level study.  The members of the Sixth Form team are highly qualified and experienced staff who work together to provide a support network for students which will enable them to fulfil their potential and progress successfully to the next stage of their lives, whether in employment, training or Higher Education.

Each student is valued, and we are committed to an ethos which sees Sixth Form not only as an opportunity to gain qualifications, but also as an important stage in the development of the individual.  Therefore, much emphasis is placed on preparing students for their adult personal and professional lives, whether it be in the acquisition of inter-personal or organisational skills or in the involvement with the local community through voluntary work or charity fundraising.

All students benefit from:

• A Year 12 Induction Day: the first day of term is spent in tutor groups, so that students can get to know each other and Sixth Form staff, as well as taking part in activities which will help them to familiarise themselves with Sixth Form procedures and the practicalities of Sixth Form Life.
• The support of a Personal Tutor: each student is assigned to one of six tutor groups and generally keeps the same tutor throughout their Sixth Form career.  Three morning registration sessions each week are spent in tutor groups, and the student/tutor relationship is further enhanced by regular tutorial sessions and termly one-to-one interviews on Personal Development Day.  The tutor will be a student’s first point of contact in the event of any problems, academic or personal.
• Dedicated Teachers in charge of Year 12 & 13: one of the tutors in each of Years 12 and 13 has particular responsibility for that year, and will deal with some problems referred by tutors.  Appointments can be made by students to see Deputy Pastoral and Progression Leader, who monitor attendance issues and act as the first point of contact with parents.  The Deputy Pastoral and Progression Leaders in charge of Year 12 and 13 take one of the two weekly assemblies.
• A Head of Sixth Form, who has overall responsibility for Years 12 and 13 and who is available to all students in both years through an appointments system.  She co-ordinates the monitoring and support of all students and will set up intervention strategies for those failing to reach their potential.  This may require liaison with subject teachers, or referral to the school counsellor or progression manager.  The Head of Sixth Form takes a weekly assembly in each year.
• A Sixth Form Office: based in Gabriel House and administered by a member of staff who deals with Sixth Form matters, and who has responsibility for the administration of the Educational Maintenance Allowance, as well as first aid training.  Many everyday practical problems can be solved quickly by a visit to Gabriel Office.